- Muscular dystrophy can affect the muscles used for heart function and breathing. Treatment usually involves drugs that help improve heart function. However, better types of heart imaging studies are needed to improve treatment of heart problems related to muscular dystrophy. Better heart imaging methods are especially needed for children with muscular dystrophy. Researchers want to test different heart imaging methods in children with muscular dystrophy. They will look at cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and standard heart function tests.

Objectives:

- To develop and test new methods for imaging the heart in children with muscular dystrophy.

Eligibility:

- Children and adolescents between 8 and 17 years of age who have muscular dystrophy.

Design:

Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history.

Participants will provide a blood sample at the start of the study. They will also have heart function tests before having the imaging study.

Participants will have a cardiac MRI scan that will last up to 60 minutes. Some tests will require a MRI contrast agent (a drug that helps the image appear more clearly on the scan).

Research Group (CINRG) and the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium, this pilot study will assess cardiac outcome measures in children obtained by gadolinium enhanced cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and echocardiographic methods that can be reliably implemented across a consortium of clinical sites devoted to the study of pharmaceutical treatments for muscular dystrophy. These cardiac MRI scans will be shared with the PITT1109 research protocol in all subjects that are enrolled in both studies.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

8 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Male or females with a diagnosis of Duchenne, Becker, or Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy.

8 to 100 years of age.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Day-time users of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

Sip ventilator users

Invasive ventilator dependent

Pregnant minors (when uncertain, participants will undergo urine

testing) or lactating minors

- Decompensated congestive heart failure (unable to lie flat during

CMR)

- Impaired renal excretory function (calculated Glomerular Filtration

Rate less than 30mL/min)

Contra-indications to Magnetic Resonance Imaging:

Cardiac pacemaker or implantable defibrillator

Cerebral aneurysm clip

Neural stimulator

Metallic ocular foreign body

Harrington-rod

Any implanted device (i.e. insulin pump, drug infusion device)

Claustrophobia

Metal shrapnel or bullet

Investigator assessment of inability to comply with protocol

Unable/unwilling to lie still throughout the research procedure or

who require sedation

- Persons with cognitive impairment

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01633242